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Fifth generation of video game consoles
The fifth-generation era (also known as the 32-bit era, the 64-bit era and the 3D era) refers to computer and video games, video game consoles and video game handhelds from approximately 1993 to 2001. Then the fifth generation of video game console closed when Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance on March 21, 2001 in Japan Market as the first handheld console for the sixth generation of video game console. }} For home consoles, the best-selling console was the PlayStation by a wide margin, followed by the Nintendo 64 and then the Sega Saturn. For handhelds, this era was characterized by significant fragmentation, because the first handheld of the generation, the Genesis Nomad, had a lifespan of just two years, and the Virtual Boy had a lifespan of less than one. Both were discontinued before the other handhelds made their debut. The Neo Geo Pocket was released in 1998, but was dropped by SNK in favor of the fully backwards compatible Neo Geo Pocket Color just a year later. Nintendo's Game Boy Color was the winner in handhelds by a large margin. There were also two updated versions of the original Game Boy: Game Boy Light (Japan only) and Game Boy Pocket. Some features that distinguished fifth generation consoles from fourth generation consoles include: * 3D polygon graphics with texture mapping * Optical disc (CD-ROM) game storage, allowing much larger storage space (up to 650 MB) than ROM cartridges * CD quality audio recordings (music and speech), PCM audio with 16-bit depth and 44.1 kHz sampling rate * Wide adoption of full motion video, displaying pre-rendered computer animation or live action footage * Analog controllers * Display resolution from 480i to 576i * Color depth up to 16,777,216 colors (24-bit true color) * 3D graphical capabilities such as lighting, Gouraud shading, anti-aliasing and texture filtering The era is known for its pivotal role in the video game industry's leap from 2D computer graphics to 3D computer graphics, as well as the shift from home consoles using ROM cartridges to optical discs. The development of the Internet also made it possible to store and download tape and ROM images of older games, eventually leading 7th generation consoles (such as the Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS) to make many older games available for purchase or download. There was considerable overlap between this and the sixth generation of consoles, which began with the launch of the Dreamcast in Japan on November 27, 1998. The fifth generation officially ended with the discontinuation of the PlayStation (known in its re-engineered form as the "PSOne") in March 2005, a few months after the launch of the seventh generation. History Transition to 3D The 32-bit/64-bit era is most noted for the rise of fully 3D polygon games. While there were games prior that had used three-dimensional polygon environments, such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter in the arcades and ''Star Fox'' on the Super NES, it was in this era that many game designers began to move traditionally 2D and pseudo-3D genres into 3D on video game consoles. Early efforts from then-industry leaders Sega and Nintendo saw the introduction of the 32X and Super FX, which provided rudimentary 3D capabilities to the 16-bit Genesis and Super NES. Prime examples of this trend include Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn, Tomb Raider on the PlayStation and Saturn, Tekken and Crash Bandicoot on the PlayStation, and Super Mario 64 on the N64. Their 3D environments were widely marketed and they steered the industry's focus away from side-scrolling and rail-style titles, as well as opening doors to more complex games and genres. 3D became the main focus in this era as well as a slow decline of cartridges in favor of CDs, due to the ability to produce games less expensively and the media's high storage capabilities. CD vs. cartridge After allowing Sony to develop a CD-based prototype console for them and a similar failed partnership with Philips,Christopher Dring, 2013-07-11, A Tale of Two E3s - Xbox vs Sony vs Sega, MCV Nintendo decided to make the Nintendo 64 a cartridge-based system like its predecessors. Publicly, Nintendo defended this decision on the grounds that it would give games shorter load times than a compact disc (and would decrease piracy). However, it also had the dubious benefit of allowing Nintendo to charge higher licensing fees, as cartridge production was considerably more expensive than CD production. Many third-party developers like EA Sports viewed this as an underhanded attempt to raise more money for Nintendo and many of them became more reluctant to release games on the N64. Nintendo's decision to use a cartridge based system sparked a small scale war among gamers as to which was better. The chief advantages of the CD-ROM format were (1)larger storage capacity, allowing for a much greater amount of game content, (2)considerably lower manufacturing costs, making them much less risky for game publishers, (3)lower retail prices due to the reduced need to compensate for manufacturing costs.Ryan, Michael E. "'I Gotta Have This Game Machine!' (Cover Story)." Familypc 7.11 (2000): 112. MasterFILE Premier. Web. July 24, 2013. Its disadvantages compared to cartridge were (1)considerable load times, (2)their inability to load data "on the fly", making them reliant on the console RAM, and (3)the greater manufacturing costs of CD-ROM drives compared to cartridge slots, resulting in generally higher retail prices for CD-based consoles. A Nintendo magazine ad placed a Space Shuttle (cartridge) next to a snail (a CD) and dared consumers to decide "which one was better". Almost every other contemporary system used the new CD-ROM technology (the Nintendo 64 was the last major home video game console to use cartridges, until the Nintendo Switch in 2017). Consequent to the storage and cost advantages of the CD-ROM format, many game developers shifted their support away from the Nintendo 64 to the PlayStation. One of the most influential game franchises to change consoles during this era was the Final Fantasy series, beginning with Final Fantasy VII, which was originally being developed for the N64 but due to storage capacity issues was shifted to and released on the PlayStation; prior Final Fantasy games had all been published on Nintendo consoles – either the NES or Super NES, with the only other entries being on the Wonderswan, or computers like the MSX. Overview of the fifth generation consoles There was much confusion over which console was superior to the others. Adding to the uncertainty was the fact that there were more competing consoles in this era than at any other time since the North American video game crash of 1983, with video game magazines frequently predicting a second crash due to the similar deluge of new consoles. Also, console makers routinely boasted theoretical maximum limits of each system's 3D polygon rendering without accounting for real world in-game performance. The FM Towns Marty is considered the world's first 32-bit console (predating the Amiga CD32 and 3DO), being released in February 20, 1993 by Japanese electronic company Fujitsu. Never released outside Japan, it was largely marketed as a console version of the FM Towns home computer, being compatible with games developed for the FM Towns. It failed to make an impact in the marketplace due to its expense relative to other consoles and inability to compete with home computers. While using a 32-bit word length, however, the Intel 80386SX CPU only supports 16-bit bus addressing (similar to the Motorola 68000 in 1985's Amiga 1000) and a maximum of 24-bit RAM addressing. Despite massive third party support and an unprecedented amount of hype for a first-time entrant into the industry, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer's $700 price tag hindered its success. The Amiga CD32 was sold in Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil, but never in the United States due to Commodore's bankruptcy.Perelman, M: "Steal This Idea", page 60. Palgrave Macmillan, 2004 The 32X, an add-on console for the Genesis, was launched a short time before the Sega Saturn. The Sega Neptune was also announced as a standalone version of the 32X, but ultimately canceled. Sega failed to deliver a steady flow of games for the 32X platform. More importantly, with the Saturn and PlayStation already on the horizon, most gamers preferred to save up their money rather than spend it on a console that was doomed to become obsolete in just a few months. The Sega Saturn was released as Sega's entry into the 32-bit console market. It became Sega's most successful console in Japan, but it was not the overseas commercial success that the Master System and Mega Drive had been and lagged in third place overall. The Atari Jaguar was released in 1993 as the world's first 64-bit system. However, sales at launch were well below the incumbent fourth generation consoles, and a small games library rooted in a shortage of third party support made it impossible for the Jaguar to catch up, selling below 250,000 units. The system's 64-bit nature was also questioned by many. The 32-bit Atari Panther, set to be released in 1991, was canceled due to unexpectedly rapid progress in developing the Jaguar.Atari Jaguar History, AtariAge. The Atari Jaguar CD, an add-on console for the Jaguar, was released in 1995. It was produced in limited quantities due to the low install base of the system. The PlayStation was the most successful console of this generation, with attention given by 3rd party developers enabling it to achieve market dominance, becoming the first home console to ship 100 million units worldwide. Because of many delays in the release of the Nintendo 64, in 1995 Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, a supposedly portable system capable of displaying true 3D graphics, albeit in monochromatic red and black. However, in practice it is not functionally portable, though it was at first marketed as such, and because of the nature of its graphical capabilities, the system can cause headaches and eye strain. It was discontinued within a year, with less than 25 games ever released for it. The Nintendo 64, originally announced as the "Ultra 64", was released in 1996. The system's delays and use of the cartridge format while all of its competitors used CDs made it an unpopular platform among third party developers. However, a number of wildly popular 1st party titles allowed the Nintendo 64 to maintain strong sales in the United States, though it still remained a distant second to the PlayStation. NEC, creator of the TurboGrafx-16, TurboDuo, Coregrafx, and SuperGrafx, also entered the market with the PC-FX in 1994. The system had a 32-bit processor, 16-bit stereo sound, a 16,777,000 color palette and featured the highest quality full motion video of any console on the market at the time. The PC-FX broke away from traditional console design by being a tower system that allowed for numerous expansion points including a connection for NEC's PC-9800 series of computers. Despite its impressive specs, it was marketed as the ultimate side-scrolling console and could not match the sales of the 3D systems currently on the market. Aftermath of the fifth generation By the end of the 1995 Christmas shopping season, the fifth generation has come down to a struggle between the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, and the upcoming Nintendo 64. The FM Towns Marty and Amiga CD32 had already been discontinued; the Jaguar and 32X were still on the market but were considered a lost cause by industry analysts; the Neo Geo CD had proven to appeal only to a niche market; and industry analysts had already determined that the yet-to-launch Apple Bandai Pippin was too expensive to make any impact in the market. Moreover, even the leading fifth generation consoles were still facing sluggish sales. Combined sales for the PlayStation, Saturn, and 3DO barely topped 1 million units for the Christmas shopping season, as compared to combined sales of 4 million for the Sega Genesis and Super NES. Focus groups showed that most children under 12 years old are equally happy playing on fourth generation consoles as they are playing on fifth generation consoles, making the fourth generation consoles more appealing to adults buying gifts for children, since they are cheaper. Industry analysts began putting forth the possibility that the fifth generation of consoles would never overtake the fourth generation in sales, and become superseded by a new generation of DVD player consoles before they could achieve mass acceptance. 1996 saw the fifth generation consoles' fortunes finally turn around. With the Saturn, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64 all showing dramatic increases in sales over the previous year, they claimed a combined 40% of the retail market for hardware and software, putting them in position to finally overtake the fourth generation consoles in 1997. After the dust settled in the fifth generation console wars, several companies saw their outlooks change drastically. Atari Corporation, which was not able to recover its losses, ended up being purchased by JT Storage and stopped making game hardware. Sega's loss of consumer confidence (coupled with its previous console failures) along with their financial difficulties, set the company up for a similar fate in the next round of console wars. The Sega Saturn suffered from poor marketing and comparatively limited third-party support outside Japan. Sega's decision to use dual processors was roundly criticized, as this made it difficult to efficiently develop for the console. Sega was also hurt by a surprise four-month-early U.S. launch of their console. Third party developers, who had been planning for the originally scheduled launch, could not provide launch titles and were angered by the move. Retailers were caught unprepared, resulting in distribution problems. Some retailers, such as the now defunct KB Toys, were so furious that they refused to stock the Saturn thereafter.Helgeson, Matt. "Top 10 Embarrassing E3 Moments", Game Informer(208): 40–41. Due to numerous delays, the Nintendo 64 was released one year later than its competitors. By the time it was finally launched in 1996, Sony had already established its dominance, the Saturn was starting to struggle, and the Jaguar and 3DO had been discontinued. Its use of cartridge media rather than compact discs alienated some developers and publishers due to the space limits, the relatively high cost involved, and a considerably longer production time. In addition, the initially high suggested retail price of the console may have driven potential customers away, and some early adopters of the system who had paid the initial price may have been angered by Nintendo's decision to cut the price of the system by $50 six months after its release. However, the Nintendo 64 turned out to be a commercial success, particularly in the United States, where it sold 20.63 million units, nearly two third of its worldwide sales of 32.93 million units. It was also home to highly successful games such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and Super Smash Bros. Still, while the Nintendo 64 sold far more units than the Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, and 3DO, it failed to surpass the PlayStation, which dominated the market. By 1997, 40% to 60% of American homes played on video game consoles. 30% to 40% of these homes owned a console, while an additional 10% to 20% rented or shared a console. Home systems Comparison Other consoles ;These consoles are either less notable, never saw a worldwide release, and/or have sold particularly poorly, and are therefore listed as 'Other'. File:FM-Towns-Marty-Console-Set.jpg|FM Towns Marty, created by Fujitsu. Released on February 20, 1993. File:Amiga-CD32-wController-L.jpg|Amiga CD32, created by Commodore. Released on September 17, 1993. File:NEC-PC-FX-wController-R.jpg|PC-FX, created by NEC. Released on December 23, 1994. File:Pippin-Atmark-Console-Set.jpg|Apple Bandai Pippin, created by Apple and Bandai. Released on March 28, 1995. File:Bandai-Playdia-Set-R.jpg|Playdia, created by Bandai. A console consisting of quiz games. Released in Japan on September 23, 1994, for ¥24,800. File:Casio-Loopy-Console-Set.jpg|Casio Loopy, created by Casio. Released in October 1995 in Japan, targeted at female gamers. Add-ons and remakes File:Sega-Genesis-Model2-32X.jpg|32X, an add-on for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive (from the fourth generation), released on November 19, 1994. File:Atari-Jaguar-CD-wPro-Controller.jpg|Atari Jaguar CD Released in September 1995 File:64DD-Attached.jpg|Nintendo 64DD Released in Japan in 1999 Worldwide sales standings From 1996 to 1999 (when the PlayStation, N64 and Saturn were the major 5th-generation consoles still on the market) Sony managed a 47% market share of the worldwide market, followed by Nintendo with 28% (with a percentage of that figure from the 16‑bit Super NES), while Sega was third with 23% (with a percentage of that from the Dreamcast). Production of the Sega Saturn was discontinued in 1998. Its demise being accelerated by rumors that work on its successor was underway; these rumors hurt the systems' sales in the west as early as 1997. The N64 was succeeded by the GameCube in 2001, but continued its production until 2004; however, PlayStation production was not ceased as it was redesigned as the PSone, further extending the life of the console around the release of the follow-up PlayStation 2. The PlayStation console production was discontinued in 2006, shortly after the Xbox 360 was released. Handheld systems File:Sega-Nomad-Front.jpg|Genesis Nomad Released in 1995 in the U.S. only File:Tiger-RZone-Headset.jpg|R-Zone Released in 1995 in the U.S. only File:Virtual-Boy-Set.jpg|Virtual Boy 1995–1996 File:Tiger-Game-Com-FL.jpg|Game.com Released in 1997 File:Nintendo-Game-Boy-Color-FL.jpg|Game Boy Color Released in November 1998 File:Neo-Geo-Pocket-Anthra-Left.jpg|Neo Geo Pocket Released in 1998 File:Sony-PocketStation.jpg|Pocketstation Released in 1998 File:WonderSwan-Black-Left.jpg|WonderSwan Released in 1999 in Japan only File:WonderSwan-Color-Blue-Left.jpg|WonderSwan Color Released in 2000 in Japan only File:Neo-Geo-Pocket-Color-Blue-Left.jpg|Neo Geo Pocket Color Released in 2000 Software Milestone titles * ''Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation, Saturn) by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami is considered one of the best PlayStation games available, and a strong argument for the relevance of 2D games in an increasingly 3D market. * Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation) by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) would go on to become Sony's unofficial mascot along with Nintendo's Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. The game featured a marsupial bandicoot named Crash and would prove to be one of the PlayStation's most successful titles. * Dragon Warrior VII (PlayStation) by Heartbeat, ArtePiazza, and Enix was the number one best-selling title on the PlayStation in Japan, released in 2000. The game was the first main installment of Japan's national RPG series released in 5 years. * Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation, PC) by Square Product Development Division 1 and Squaresoft, is one of the PlayStation's most popular titles. It was the first game in the Final Fantasy series to make use of full motion videos (FMVs) and opened the door to the mainstream US market for Japanese-origin RPGs by SquareSoft. Final Fantasy became one of the biggest franchises in video gaming, with FFVII in particular having several spin-offs known as Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, including two sequels (a movie, and an action adventure game) and a prequel. * GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64) by Rare and Nintendo is a critically acclaimed game that helped make the first-person shooter a potential popular genre on consoles. The game has subsequently become credited alongside Shiny Entertainment's MDK for pioneering and popularising the now-standard inclusion of scoped sniper rifles in video games. * Gran Turismo (PlayStation) by Polyphony Digital and SCE broke away from the mold of traditional arcade style racing games by offering realistic physics and handling as well as a plethora of licensed vehicles. * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo EAD and Nintendo is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time and often listed as one of the greatest video games of all time. "NP Top 200", Nintendo Power 200: 58–66, February 2006."The Greatest 200 Games of Their Time", Electronic Gaming Monthly 200: February 2006. It transferred the playing mechanics of the previous 2D Zelda adventures to a 3D environment, with a 3rd person perspective that could switch to 1st person view. It also featured mini-games involving archery, fishing, and horseback riding, and gave birth to the Z targeting system, which would become a mainstay in the series battles. * Metal Gear Solid (PlayStation, PC) by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and Konami received critical acclaim for its involved storyline, believable voice acting, and cinematic presentation, and is considered one of the best games of all time. The series remains a best seller for the PlayStation along with the series branching off to Xbox and other Nintendo consoles after many successes. * The Need for Speed (3DO, PlayStation, Saturn, PC) by Pioneer Productions and Electronic Arts shot well ahead of prior racing simulators in graphics and realism, and spawned a number of sequels. * Nights into Dreams... (Saturn) by Sonic Team and Sega was bundled with the Saturn's analog controller, which was almost essential to the gameplay. With its innovative gameplay and graphics, Nights, an exclusive title, aided in the selling of a number of Saturns. * Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn) by Team Andromeda and Sega is the highest-rated Saturn title on Game Rankings with a score of 92.87%, and has been cited as one of the greatest games ever made. Top 100 Games of All Time: No.22, G4. * Perfect Dark (Nintendo 64) by Rare and Nintendo was critically acclaimed, building on what made GoldenEye 007 successful: making use of the Nintendo 64 expansion pack. It received a 97/100 from Metacritic. * Pokémon Red and Blue(Gameboy) by GameFreak and Nintendo was a critical and financial success when the games first debuted on the Game Boy and putting another Nintendo franchise on the map. By the end of this console generation, the games sold about 31 million units world wide. Its squeal games, Pokemon Gold & Silver also garnered critical acclaim from various gaming critics. * Resident Evil (PlayStation, Saturn, PC) by Capcom and Silent Hill (PlayStation) by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami helped popularize the survival horror genre on consoles. This genre continued to grow in the sixth generation of video games, and Silent Hill and Resident Evil went on to produce many successful sequels. Both have since been adapted for films. * Sega Rally Championship (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM5 and Sega was the first rally racing game, broke new ground by incorporating different surfaces with different friction properties,Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2009, page 103.Edge Staff, The Making Of: Colin McRae Rally, Edge, February 5, 2010: "The basic premise for the game was based around the car handling in Sega Rally," confirms Guy Wilday, producer of the first four CMR games. "Everyone who played it loved the way the cars behaved on the different surfaces, especially the fact that you could slide the car realistically on the loose gravel. The car handling remains excellent to this day and it’s still an arcade machine I enjoy playing, given the chance." and has been cited as one of the greatest racing games ever made. * Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo EAD and Nintendo is the first Nintendo 64 game to use the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak, which bundled with the game. It was a success and sold 3 million copies worldwide. * Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (Nintendo EAD) and Nintendo is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, particularly for its use of a dynamic camera system, the implementation of its 360-degree analog control, and open world design. Super Mario 64 is one of the best selling home console games of the era, selling 11.62 million copies worldwide. * Super Smash Bros. (Nintendo 64) was a breakthrough IP for Nintendo, featuring characters from Nintendo owned franchises fighting in a party styled game. Super Smash Bros. has since been succeeded by 4 additional titles in the series. * Tekken 3 (PlayStation) is considered not only to be the greatest installment of the Tekken series, but remains as one of the greatest fighting games of all time according to PlayStation Magazine.PlayStation: The Official Magazine asserts in its January 2009 issue that Tekken 3 "is still widely considered one of the finest fighting games of all time." See "Tekken 6: A History of Violence," PlayStation: The Official Magazine (January 2009): 46. It has a Metacritic score of 96, and is the 12th highest rated game ever according to GameRankings. Its predecessor achieved similar feats until its succession, and the first game in the franchise was the first PlayStation game to sell over a million units. * Tomb Raider (PlayStation, Saturn, PC) by Core Design and Eidos Interactive popularized many elements seen in later video games and spawned several very successful sequels. Also known as Ten Years of Tomb Raider: A GameTap Retrospective The main character, Lara Croft, was named the most recognizable female video game character by Guinness World Records."Record-Breaking Lara Croft Battles her Way Into New Guinness World Records", MCV. January 21, 2010. * Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PC) by Neversoft and Activision garnered widespread critical acclaim and has been cited as one of the greatest games ever made. * Virtua Cop (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM2 and Sega introduced the use of 3D polygons to the light-gun shooter genre,Virtua Cop , IGN, July 7, 2004. paving the way for future light gun shooters like Namco's Time Crisis and Sega's The House of the Dead, and was a major influence on GoldenEye 007. * Virtua Fighter (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM2 and Sega created the 3D fighting game genre.Leone, Matt, Essential 50: Virtua Fighter , 1UP. The console port, which was nearly identical to the arcade game, sold at a nearly 1:1 ratio with the Saturn hardware at launch. The original arcade version also had a major influence on the PlayStation becoming a 3D focused console. See also *Sixth generation of video game consoles *Fourth generation of video game consoles * Commodore International * The 3DO Company * Playdia References Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles History of video game consoles 05 05 .Consoles05 .Consoles05 Category:1990s video games Category:2000s video games Video game consoles05 Video game consoles05